Thursday, May 26, 2011

A Lot of Lamb

I have sung "Mary Had a Little Lamb" over 1100 times. It's part of a nightly ritual that has been a part of the overwhelming majority of my parenthood.

It was during an intense heat wave four years ago. We had the ideal timing and good fortune to be vacationing in Palm Springs at this time with my parents and my sister and her family. Understandably, the Bean had trouble getting to sleep so we began to sing to him "Mary". This did the trick. Ever since before he goes to be he is sung all four verses of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" while one shot of "Scary Spray" is sprayed into each corner of the room.

We have been doing this for 4 years. Every night while tucking in the Bean, I ask him if he'd like his song. I'm waiting for the night that he outgrows it. For that will be both a happy and a melancholy evening.

I made the mistake of singing the Highwaymen, Born And Raised In Black And White, to my boy every naptime and for bed. Now that he's three he requests it all the time. Problem is, that it's lyrics are about shooting people, smoking cigs, crying, and doing jail time. Not sure how I'm gonna get out of this one.Not my fault the only songs I know by heart are Johnny Cash's and Danzig.